Heat tube assembly

ABSTRACT

A heat tube assembly includes a tank mounting flange, a first heat tube and a second heat tube. The U configuration first heat tube has a first end and a second end. The first end and the second end are mounted in spaced relation to the mounting flange. A mounting for an open flame burner is provided at the first end of the first heat tube. A first exhaust is provided at the second end of the first heat tube. The U configuration second heat tube has a first end and a second end. The first end and the second end are mounted in spaced relation to the mounting flange. A coupling is provided for connecting a conduit from an engine exhaust to the first end of the second heat tube. A second exhaust is provided at the second end of the second heat tube.

FIELD

The present invention relates to a heat tube assembly, which is mountedto a fluid production vessel and into which is directed hot fluids.

BACKGROUND

Heat is used to facilitate separation of oil and water in fluidproduction vessels. During winter months, heat is required to preventfreezing. Published U.S. Patent application 20040173164 (St. Denis)discusses the use of open flame burners shooting flames into the heattubes in the prior art. The St. Denis patent application proposes usinghot fluids from an internal combustion engine, combined with radiantheat from the engine, as an alternative to an open flame burner.

SUMMARY

There is provided a heat tube assembly which includes a tank mountingflange, a first heat tube and a second heat tube. The U configurationfirst heat tube has a first end and a second end. The first end and thesecond end are mounted in spaced relation to the mounting flange. Meansare provided for mounting an open flame burner to the first end of thefirst heat tube. A first exhaust is provided at the second end of thefirst heat tube. The U configuration second heat tube has a first endand a second end. The first end and the second end are mounted in spacedrelation to the mounting flange. Means are provided for connecting aconduit from an engine exhaust to the first end of the second heat tube.A second exhaust is provided at the second end of the second heat tube.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

These and other features will become more apparent from the followingdescription in which reference is made to the appended drawings, thedrawings are for the purpose of illustration only and are not intendedto be in any way limiting, wherein:

FIG. 1 is a side elevation view, in section, of a fluid productionvessel into which a heat tube assembly has been installed.

FIG. 2 is a section view of a heat tube from the heat tube assembly ofFIG. 1.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION

A heat tube assembly generally identified by reference numeral 10, willnow be described with reference to FIG. 1 through 2.

Structure and Relationship of Parts:

Referring to FIG. 1, heat tube assembly 10 has a tank mounting flange12, a U configuration first heat tube 14, a first exhaust 16, a Uconfiguration second heat tube 18, and a second exhaust 20. First heattube 14 has a first end 22 and a second end 24. First end 22 and secondend 24 are mounted in spaced relation to tank mounting flange 12. Heattube assembly 12 also has a mounting 25 for mounting an open flameburner 26 to first end 22 of first heat tube 14. A flame arrester 27 maybe provided at first end 22 of first heat tube 14 in order to preventany flames produced by flame burner 26 from exiting first end 22. Firstexhaust 16 is positioned at second end 24 of first heat tube 14. Heatfrom flame burner 26 circulates through first heat tube 14 in thedirection shown and exits through first exhaust 16. Second heat tube 18has a first end 28 and a second end 30, first end 28 and second end 30being mounted in spaced relation to mounting flange 12. A coupling 32 isconnected to first end 28 of second heat tube 14. Coupling 32 connects aconduit 34 from an engine exhaust 36 to first end 28 of second heat tube18. Second exhaust 20 is positioned at second end 30 of second heat tube18. Bypasses 38 and 52 may be positioned at first end 28 and engineexhaust 36, respectively, to divert exhaust gases so that they bypasssecond heat tube 18. Embodiments are possible with at least one ofbypass 38 and bypass 52 present. Bypass 38 diverts exhaust gasesdirectly to second exhaust 20. A valve 40 is provided to selectivelyopen and close bypass 38. Bypass 52 diverts exhaust gases directly to athird exhaust 60. Valve 56 is provided to selectively open and closebypass 52. An additional valve 54 is provided to open and close engineexhaust 36. When valve 54 is closed and valve 56 open, exhaust gasesflow through bypass 52. Alternatively, valves 54 and 56 may be replacedby a single valve that may selectively direct exhaust gas to eitherthird exhaust 60 or second heat tube 18. Valves 40, 54, and 56 may beautomatically or manually controlled. If manually controlled, either ofvalves 40, 54, and/or 56 may be provided as a hand operated valve.

Referring to FIGS. 1 and 2, a plurality of tubular heat exchangepassages 42 extend transversely through second heat tube 18. Referringto FIG. 2, heat exchange passages 42 increase the interior surface area44 of second heat tube 18. Referring to FIG. 1, this improves heattransfer from exhaust gases to the fluids contained within a tank 46.

Tank 46 is an fluid production vessel containing fluid. In a preferredembodiment, the fluid may be oil. Tank mounting flange 12 allows heattube assembly 10 to be mounted on tank 46. Additional heat tubeassemblies 10 may be used to heat tank 46. Tank 46 may have a heatsensor 48 provided in order to monitor the temperature of the containedfluid. Valves 40, 54 and 56 may be selectively controlled in response tothe fluid temperature as detected by heat sensor 48.

Referring to FIG. 1, engine exhaust 36 extends from an engine 50. Anoptional blower 51 may be connected to engine exhaust 36, in order topump engine exhaust into, second heat tube 14. Engine 50 may be any typeof internal combustion engine, such as a diesel or gasoline engine.Valves 54 and 56 may be selectively opened and/or closed in response tothe fluid temperature as detected by heat sensor 48, similar to valve40. Bypass 52 may allow excess exhaust gas back pressure from secondheat tube 18 to be released. A muffler 58 may be provided on bypass 52to reduce the noise produced by engine 50.

Operation:

Referring to FIG. 1, heated exhaust gases produced by flame burner 26circulate through first heat tube 14 as shown, and transfer heat to thefluid adjacent to first heat tube 14, thereby heating the contents oftank 46. Exhaust, gases then exit first heat tube 14 through firstexhaust 16. Exhaust gases created by engine 50 enter engine exhaust 36.If valve 56, when present, is open, some exhaust gases will be divertedinto bypass 52. Under normal heating conditions, valve 54 is open, andallows exhaust gases to travel through conduit 34 to coupling 32. If thetemperature of the fluid is below a predetermined temperature, valve 40is configured to direct exhaust gases from conduit 34 into first end 28of second heat tube 18. Heated exhaust gases flow through first heattube 18 and transfer heat to the fluid in contact with first heat tube18 or positioned within heat exchange passages 42. Exhaust gases arethen expelled from second heat tube 18 via second exhaust 20. However,if the fluid temperature rises above a predetermined temperature, valve40 disconnects coupling 32 from engine exhaust 36, diverting heatedexhaust gases into bypass 38 where they exit via second exhaust 20without passing through second heat tube 18. This allows the heating offluid within tank 46 to be controlled and safely adjusted.

Alternatively, if bypass 52 is provided instead of bypass 38, valve 54is configured to direct exhaust gases from conduit 34 into first end 28of second heat tube 18 when the temperature of the fluid is below apredetermined level. Under the same conditions, valve 56 may be closed.When the temperature rises above the predetermined level, valve 54 maybe closed and valve 56 opened, in order to direct exhaust gases to thirdexhaust 60.

Advantages:

Heat tube assembly 10 provides a number of advantages. In order to saveenergy and save the environment, in the warmer summer months theproduction vessel can be heated using only exhaust gases from enginesalready running on site to keep pumping equipment operation. As theweather gets colder, the production vessel can be heated with heat fromthe burner supplementing heat from the exhaust gases. When there is aconcern that there is too much heat from the combined sources, theexhaust gases can be diverted through the bypass. The use of transverseheat exchanger tubes, helps to make the transfer of heat more efficientand effective.

In this patent document, the word “comprising” is used in itsnon-limiting sense to mean that items following the word are included,but items not specifically mentioned are not excluded. A reference to anelement by the indefinite article “a” does not exclude the possibilitythat more than one of the element is present, unless the context clearlyrequires that there be one and only one of the elements.

The following claims are to understood to include what is specificallyillustrated and described above, what is conceptually equivalent, andwhat can be obviously substituted. Those skilled in the art willappreciate that various adaptations and modifications of the describedembodiments can be configured without departing from the scope of theclaims. The illustrated embodiments have been set forth only as examplesand should not be taken as limiting the invention. It is to beunderstood that, within the scope of the following claims, the inventionmay be practiced other than as specifically illustrated and described.

1. A heat tube assembly, comprising: a tank mounting flange; a Uconfiguration first heat tube having a first end and a second end, thefirst end and the second end being mounted in spaced relation to themounting flange; means for mounting an open flame burner to the firstend of the first heat tube; first exhaust means at the second end of thefirst heat tube; a U configuration second heat tube having a first endand a second end, the first end and the second end being mounted inspaced relation to the mounting flange; means for connecting a conduitfrom an engine exhaust to the first end of the second heat tube; secondexhaust means at the second end of the second heat tube.
 2. The heattube assembly of claim 1, wherein at least one bypass is provided todivert exhaust gases so that they bypass the second heat tube, a valvebeing provided to selectively open and close the at least one bypass. 3.The heat tube assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least one bypass ispositioned at one of the first end of the second tube or the engineexhaust.
 4. The heat tube assembly of claim 2, wherein the at least onebypass diverts exhaust gases directly to one of the second exhaust or athird exhaust.
 5. The heat tube assembly of claim 1, wherein a pluralityof tubular heat exchange passages extend transversely through the secondheat tube.
 6. The heat tube assembly of claim 2, wherein the valve isautomatically controlled based upon temperature of fluids within aproduction tank.
 7. A heat tube assembly, comprising: a tank mountingflange; a U configuration first heat tube having a first end and asecond end, the first end and the second end being mounted in spacedrelation to the mounting flange; a mounting for mounting an open flameburner to the first end of the first heat tube; a first exhaust at thesecond end of the first heat tube; a U configuration second heat tubehaving a first end and a second end, the first end and the second endbeing mounted in spaced relation to the mounting flange; a coupling forconnecting a conduit from an engine exhaust to the first end of thesecond heat tube; a second exhaust at the second end of the second heattube; and a bypass at the first end of the second tube to divert exhaustgases directly to the second exhaust, a valve being provided toselectively open and close the bypass.
 8. The heat tube assembly ofclaim 7, wherein a plurality of tubular heat exchange passages extendtransversely through the second heat tube.